The present invention relates to a cover supported on a bracket held to a wall for protecting a conventional baseboard heater system in residential or commercial use. Specifically, the invention comprises an inventive bracket and snap-on cover for a baseboard heater. Baseboard heaters are conventionally made of horizontally extending copper pipes (with hot water coursing therethrough when “heat” is demanded by the system's thermostat) and a set of tightly spaced, thin aluminum, longitudinally extending plates or fins with central apertures which pass over the copper piping. The surface area of the fins radiates the heat to the room sought to be heated, with the heat radiating through the longitudinal apertures of the protective cover for the fins and pipes. The covers, conventionally, are made of simple sheet metal, often thin steel, and, when contacted by water or other liquid urine, causes rust to appear and, in any event, when the metallic fins come into contact with the cover and one another, often result in cracking noises which can be annoying. The present invention comprises a bracket securable to the vertical wall of the room sought to be heated, located, behind the copper piping and the fins and comprises a snap on, preferably plastic cover. The invention will eliminate rusting of a baseboard heater's cover (as it is replaced by a non-rusting material) and, in addition, will tend to reduce the noise due to relative differences in coefficient of expansion and contraction among the components. The bracket will hold the snap on cover in position and, yet, allows for selective access to the copper piping and fins, as needed. The brackets and non-metallic cover will protect the copper piping and the horizontally extending longitudinal fins, providing a tight yet with clearance fit therebetween which will allow for proper heat radiation and, yet, with a minimum of profile/space being occupied. The plastic cover eliminates rusting, is lightweight, easy to manufacture, will not present sharp metallic edges on the ends and is able to be inexpensively molded in comparison to sheet metal covers for baseboard heater elements in residential homes.
Preferably, the cover is made from a heat-resistant and water resistance plastic, preferably CPVC, as opposed to thin-walled steel to eliminate or reduce the opportunity for relative expansion and contraction (and accompanying noise associated therewith) of the materials during change of temperature conditions (i.e., when highly heated water courses through the copper pipes, radiates from the surface area of the aluminum fins, and then emanates to the room through openings in the cover) and the cessation of the same, when the room's thermostat shuts off the coursing of the flow of heated water.
The present inventive baseboard heater cover is adapted to be easily removable and replaceable. The plastic material helps to reduce or maintain the noise level caused by the pipes and heating system during operation of the heater. The present invention also is advantageous in that it does not rust as metal would, does not dent, as the material is more resilient than metal, and is more aesthetically pleasing than a conventional metal heating cover. It is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and is lightweight.
The present inventive heater cover is preferably provided in a variety of colors (by coloring of the plastic rather than the expense and time of painting the sheet metal of conventional baseboard heaters) and can be presented in a variety of aesthetic designs. Because it is easily removable, a user can easily remove the same from a heater and replace it with a different cover of a desired color. The ease of removal is also advantageous for cleaning, as it helps ensure that dust does not accumulate in crevices which are not visible while the present inventive cover is attached to a baseboard heater. Finally, the present invention is designed to quickly and easily snap into place onto other corresponding parts so that the same holds firmly in place and conceals the heater beneath.
The present invention is designed to meet the guidelines or standards published by the International Organization for Standardization (“ISO”), namely ISO-9001, which deals with the requirements for these types of products and materials. While the ISO does not set the standard, it provides guidelines for quality heat transfer and management systems. Third party certification bodies provide independent confirmation that organizations meet the requirements of ISO 9001. Here, the present invention is designed to meet standards set by the International Plumbing Code, Chapter 5, relating to Water Heaters, and Chapter 6 relating to Water Supply and Distribution, as well as the applicable standards of the International Mechanical Code, Chapter 10, relating to Boilers, Water Heaters, and Pressure Valves, the teachings of all of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference. Those regulations can be found at the International Code Council website for the International Plumbing Code and Mechanical Code, http://publicecodes.cyberregs.com/icod/pic/2012/index.htm and http://publicecodes.cyberregs.com/icod/imc/2012/index.htm, respectively.